Saturday, February 12, 2011

The real goal of any hot Valentine's Day date isn't to make a great dinner; it's to make a great breakfast for that same person the next day. With that in mind, we're going to need something a little richer, sexier, and more decadent than usual.

Luckily, richer, sexier, and more decadent is exactly what this chocolate mocha pot de crème recipe is all about. Sure, it's basically just a soft, coffee-flavored chocolate ganache, but when you serve it out of those cute little demitasse cups, top it with some thickened cream, and dust it with cocoa to simulate a petite cappuccino, there's nothing basic about it.

On a less romantic note, let me make a little disclaimer about this dessert's composition. If you make it with other types of chocolate, other dairy products, or other sweeteners, I can't be held responsible for it's aphrodisiacal effects.

I'm sort of a one trick pony when it comes to this stuff, so without sounding too lazy, if you're wondering about the difference between 70% and 85% chocolate, or if half and half will work instead, you should probably Google a reliable source. Or better yet, just make it exactly like this – it was really good.

Having said that, you are certainly free to put your own subtle flavoring twists on this, like a bit of orange zest instead of coffee, or as I joke about in the video, a little pinch of cayenne. I really hope you give this a try for Valentines Day, and good luck with that breakfast. Enjoy!

Here is the same video embeded with Vimeo for our European friends who can't view though YouTube!

Ingredients for 4 Chocolate Mocha Pots de Crème

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into very small pieces (as small as corn kernels)

Where did you find the Moser Roth chocolate? I've only ever seen it in one place... Aldi (German) grocery store. It's one of the best chocolates ever (along with Choceur,) and it's completely turned me off of American "chocolate." Moser Roth has won several awards for their decadent goodness.

I love chocolate and mint together but my boss is a chocolate fiend and loves chocolate with hazelnut, so that's how I'll be flavoring this. (I have the world's greatest boss so when I try out your recipes I include the boss.)

Do you top it with the lightly whipped heavy cream before or after the refrigeration period? I would imagine you add it just before serving. Am I right?

Yum! This looks so good. I love the way you talk us through all the nuances of cooking new things. Definitely going to give this a try and you are fast becoming my "go to" recipe site when I want something fun to cook and fun to eat.

Hey Chef John!This will be literally the first dessert/sweet thing I ever make! As a devout carnivore, I don't consider anytning not-containing meat as food.Here are three questions:1. What can I substitute the vanilla extract with? I haven't seen anything like this here in Poland. A vanilla containing thing that comes to mind is vanilla sugar (ingredients: sugar and ethylovanillyn). Do you have this in the US? If its a substitute, how much should I use?2. How fat is heavy cream? In Poland we have just cream/smietana/ with different percentages of fat, eg. - 12, 18, 36%.3. What dinner meal would this dessert be a good follow-up to? I was thiking of your Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo pasta.

Have a great time on Valentin's Day! I know I'll get la.. wait, lots of kisses thanks to your recipes.Regards,Tomek from Bialystok, Poland.

This look delicious, I plan on making it tomorrow.Could I make a small suggestion? Sometimes it's hard to tell how much an ouce is (because not all chocolate bars are measured in ouces). Maybe you could say "4 ounces of dark chocolate, or 1 cup finely chopped dark chocolate" ? Not that I'm going to complain if I use too much chocolate, though!

Sorry but you CANT measure chocolate by volume here! I think you may be confusing weight and volume measurements. This requires very precise amounts, so I call for 4oz chocolate by weight (.25 lb) not sure what you mean by "hard to tell" an ounce. An ounce never varies.

Sorry, missed part of your comment. Any supermarket dark chocolate bar will have the weight on the label, and if not just measure 4oz on a kitchen scale. Depending on who is chopping it and how small, a cup of chopped chocolate would vary too much to be accurate. Good luck!

Hey JLee I was wondering the same thing when I saw the recipe. Anyway it looks and it definitely tastes great. Maybe I’ll make some for my Valentine tomorrow morning just to start the day on a positive way. Thanks for sharing.

I tried making this, but the end result was it was too watery to set. I tried a second batch and the result came out the same. Any thoughts where I am going wrong? -as I measured the ingredients accurately, used 70% dark chocolate, 38% fat cream and whisked for much longer then 5 minutes.

Chef John, I don't have a video of the recipe embedded for this dessert. Despite refreshing the page several times the embedded videos are for the chicken wing dip and the chicken wing predictions for the Super Bowl. I live in the US.

Chef John! I tried to make this dessert for Valentine's Day (I even bought adorable heart-shaped mug and saucer sets) but my pot de creme refused to set. I made it again, and it still refused to set even after 24 hours in the fridge. In my frustration I've whipped it and am currently chilling it again.

The only thing I can really guess is that perhaps I'm supposed to whip it a bit when it's still hot? In the video you said that it would come together in a few "minutes". I assumed that it was moments and just mixed it until it was an even consistency. Do you whip it a bit while hot?

Yes has to be done when the cream is very hot, just like the video. And not whip, but stir with a whisk. Pour hot cream, wait a minute and stir until smooth and shiny. When did you stir it? I'd watch again to check. Good luck!

I tried this recipe and left it in the fridge for about 3-4 hrs and it still hasn't set. I used heavy cream but I think I might have used more than you suggested, and I also did not add any sugar. I also forgot to wait one minute before stirring the cream and chocolate together. Do any of these affect the setting process?

I tried this recipe and left it in the fridge for about 3-4 hrs and it still hasn't set. I used some non-dairy creamer and nestle's quick. I also waited like 2 or 3 minutes before stirring. Do any of these affect the setting process?

Hey Chef John! My girlfriend doesn't really enjoy dark chocolate because it's bitter. How bitter is this desert and can I substitute milk chocolate instead of dark? Pleas help, our anniversary is coming up next week and I want to make her a nice desert to complement the dinner.

Chef John,The mrs & I love ALL your videos.We made this Chocolate mocha pot de creme and added some grated toblerone.Delicious!!I have included a picture of our galant effortshttp://img543.imageshack.us/img543/7342/pauls35thbday2011065.jpgThankyou !!

Hey Chef John ! I tried this recipe and altho I am following it to the letter, no matter how long I store the mixture it just doesn't solidify ! It tastes just like melted ice-cream, REALLY good ice-cream nevertheless.

What could be the issue ? I tried putting it in the freezer - it becomes rock hard, then melts to a chocolate shake. If I put it in the fridge, even after 24 hours it still remains like a semi-solid shake .. =/

Al, I have no idea. If you used exactly what do and the same exact steps in the video, it will work. Are you using heavy cream? Is it melting the chocolate and making that thick shiny sauce? At what point does yours not look like the video?

Nope, it didn't work with evaporated milk. The resulting mixture, prior to refrigeration, turned out too watery and not thick eough. I'm guessing a major component that was missing was the fat content...

I will try again using heavy cream. What percentage of fat for the heavy cream is required? Should I use the one with the highest content of fat?

Thanks for the information Chef John. I used 33% heavy cream (labeled as whipping cream) and the pot de creme came out great ! I found that using 70% chocolate was a bit bitter for me so I'll use less next time.

After watching about everything there is to watch of cooking videos with Gordon Ramsay etc. on Youtube, I stumbled upon your channel - and of course your blog.

1. You have an extremely soothing voice. Why aren't you on TV?!

2. I've LOVED every video I watch. Similar methods to the vids I've watched with the celebrity chefs. I think that I'm making Gordon Ramsays scrambled eggs 3-4 times every week. I've made your molten lava cake so far, almost nailed it.

3. Hehe, awsome, dry humour.

Well, this recipe is made, and is cooling in the fridge at the moment. I hate the measurements in USA - why do you have to be so "special" over there? :D But I managed to get everything over to European (or worldwide.....) measurements, and found out that doing your recipie x1.75 was the best to get round numbers ;)

If this comes out well (looks that way so far), I'll try it with both milk chocolate and white chocolate. Used 70% this time.

But thanks for lots of great recipies, I'll try many of them, and follow your blog.

Chef John,I'm only 13 years old, but I still absoulutely LOVE your videos. And the recipes! You're hilarious, and your videos are very clear and easy to follow. I'll be making this tonight, for sure. It's one of my favourites. Chocolate is my weak spot. I also love your pasta with garlic & olive oil. I make it all the time, along with your mac n' cheese cassorole. It's all so good! Anyway, thank you for inspiring me with all your videos. Keep making videos, as I'll be SURE to watch them! From your biggest fan EVER, Sarah.

Hi chef Jonh.Could you do this with milk chocolate? I know, I know, but my husband hates dark chocolate, and LOVES milk chocolate, and I really want to suprise him. It looks AMAZING. Thanks! - Jenilialo

Hi Chef. If i refrigerate this for longer than 7 hours or overnight to 18 hours will the Pot de Creme be rock solid. I love your cooking style and i will be making this as a birthday gift for a "very special someone". I don't know what i'd give for her if i haven't seen this video so thank you so much Chef John.

Made this earlier and indulged after your scrumptious chicken fingers. The pot de creme turned out so velvety smooth and rich and wonderful. SO easy to make ! ONE question- IF i were to add to next batch some heat- HOW MUCH and what? Cayenne? do tell......

made this the 2nd time around with a different chocolate. 1st time used 70% Lindt. This time used 72% Ghiradeli...was not as pleased...there was a slight grainy texture in every bite....hubby couldn't tell but i could. WHAT did i do wrong OR was it the chocolate???

sigh. yeah ok, i figured you may say maybe i got the milk too hot. I got a meat thermometer and got the cream to 163 then followed your EXACT directions..... I will just go with the lindt next time. Makin chicken prick tonight. so nervous.....but you'll be with me on youtube ;)

Hey Chef :)I went grocery shopping for this recipe and for the chocolate mousse recipe today. I couldn't find heavy cream, but I found heavy whipping cream at 36% fat. Can I use that instead of the heavy cream?Thanks in advance :)

Hi Chef John!I left it in the fridge for almost 12 hours and it still hasn't set... I used Ghiradeli chocolate, and it turned out grainy and gross... I also might not have gotten the cream hot enough (I know this affects the setting process), but other than that I followed your directions EXACTLY. I know why the setting was messed up, but the taste still baffles me. Is there something I might've done wrong to mess up the taste?

cherryblossom, I'm not chef john but in my experience with using ghirardeli chocolate mine turned out grainy too. make it one more time using LINDT 70%! you will be pleased. make sure the cream is making tiny bubbles just around the pans edge. then u r ready. good luck!

Oh wow!!! I have been looking for the perfect decadent chocolate dessert for weeks now and I decided to try this one this past weekend. I found that it set much faster if put into the fridge without plastic wrap on top. I used little sundae dishes (four divided equally). Made some fresh whipped cream and holy cow - it was awesome. Thanks Chef John!!

I made a different chocolate pots de creme a couple of weeks ago. That recipe called for heating egg yolks with sugar and vanilla. No where near as delicious as yours and apparently much easier to ruin nothing like a little scrambled egg in your pudding...blech!!) I made your recipe yesterday and I still dreaming about it today.

I do have one question for you, though. I saw someone wrote that it set quickly because they didn't cover theirs with plastic wrap. I too, left mine uncovered and it set completely in about 2 hours. Am i doing something wrong by not covering it?

I made this recipe this morning and after 6 hours the mixture has not set solidly. Looks edible though. I used 35% cream and 85% Lindt chocolate. All I can think of is that the cream was not hot enough although the mixture looked glossy. There were only little bubbles forming around the edge of the cream in the pot I used. Should I have heated more?

I love your sense of humor on the video! I didn't get the thick, creamy consistency even though I did use real heavy whipping cream. Maybe it was the turbinado sugar, instead of regular white sugar, because the consistency was gritty and drippy. So sad! What do you think?

Tried this yesterday and unfortunately didn't turn out well. My guy didn't like it, nor did I. I used 85% chocolate, left it in fridge 6 hrs. I think I probably should've done 4 or 5 because though I could spoon it, it was a little hard. And i just thought the whole thing was way too rich. Chef John, is that due to chocolate percentage?

I have to join the Chef John fan club-you are beyond amazing, I tried this and it came out perfect. After I fail my NBDE (National Dental Board Exam), due to lack of studying (because I can't seem to stop watching your videos instead of studying) I will attempt to make the Lava cake :). Also a tip to everyone reading this blog, when it comes to baking you have to follow directions to a T (as in perfectly with no deviation) it is not like cooking. Every pinch will make a tremendous difference, this may not be the case in cooking. Chef John-Stay amazing :D

Thank you, Chef John, for another triumphant recipe. I doubt there are many deserts that have this amazing of an ease-to-deliciousness ratio. After making this twice, I've observed a few things. One is that you can change the results significantly(!) depending on what type of chocolate you use. All fancy, expensive chocolate does not taste the same, so I would suggest sampling the chocolate that you use beforehand so that it suits your tastes. Secondly, using 70% cacao is really recommended for the die hard dark chocolate fanatic, but it can be a little intense for some palates. Try using the recipe with some high quality 60% cacao chocolate (semi-sweet) if you would like to try a mellower but still amazingly delicious dessert. Finally, this could be my own error, but I found that there was still a bit of grittiness from the instant coffee in the pot de creme. In the future I will be more careful with my stirring but maybe add the instant coffee to the cream/sugar/vanilla mixture instead of to the chocolate? We'll see what happens. This recipe is so easy that I will surely make it again. I want to try using finely grated citrus zest of some kind instead of instant coffee next time, just to see what happens. I've also considered adding a few drops of rosewater. I dunno.

I've made this 2x this past week! I think I figured out how to speed up the chilling process -- layer in 3-4 frozen rasberries at ever 1/2" of chocolate. Chills the molten chocolate from within. And, rasberries and chocolate -- absolutely divine! There's my heat transfer engineering education at work. ^_^

I tried this recipe last night and I used hersheys special dark because it was the fanciest chocolate I could find in this horrible place I'm stuck. I used heavy whipping cream (1 cup exactly) but I chopped the entire bar up and added it (4.5 oz). Every thing else was exact but the pot de creme refuses to set more than a thick pudding. It's the extra chocolate or did I wait too long to whip? I did a count in my head and so it may have been 70 or 80 seconds before whipping. I'm assuming it was one of those two things that have banjaxed my attempt. It's still delicious but I was looking for that exquisite texture.

Sorry, but not sure what to tell you guys, other than I know it works with the amounts as shown in the video. Unless I saw you make it, and your ingredients, I couldn't diagnose what is wrong. Trust me when I say it's not the recipe since I'd have a hundred comments that it didn't work. 95% of the feedback from this one have been successful. It's generally the chocolate type, or the cream wasn't hot enough.

Chef John my husband has cooked this for me a number of times, it is my absolute favorite dessert. Today he cooked 5 batches to serve at a baby shower, we put it in disposable shot glasses. it was a HIT! thank you, thank you thank you.

You are the real hero on my Valentine's day celebration. On the big day I made the Chocolate Pot de Creme with some hazelnut extract and it was a HUGE hit. The next day, I did an encore with mixed berries with Crème Anglaise sauce and it was an EVEN bigger hit. Oh yeah! I walked on water all weekend. I could do no wrong.

The moment I hit post after my last comment that I realized that so fixated was I on the dessert that I left out the wonder that was the main course! I made the drunken mussels but with a Thai red curry twist. It was inspired by your dish but I changed the flavours. The wife loved it and I have to make it again pretty soon.